Amelia Curran just keeps getting better and better. The East Coast singer-songwriter’s new album, They Promised You Mercy, follows up her Juno Award-nominated Spectators (2012). Although the first single off of her new album “Somebody Somewhere” has garnered the masterful songsmith plenty of attention, she has also been in the news for speaking up on behalf of the Canadian Mental Health Association regarding her own experiences with mental health issues. Post City spoke with Curran during a stop in Montreal while on a Canadian tour that brings her to Toronto this weekend.

As a songwriter who focuses on the very personal, do you find the experience cathartic—exploring your emotions and putting them out there?

I learn a lot from writing, from analyzing, from being human. I’m not very deep into a song before I sit back and consider what I’m trying to say, what the melody is pushing towards, which is why I work really hard trying to be clear.

You’ve described yourself as a lyric snob. What do you mean?

I did say that. Well, yes, I am. I don’t know. I work really hard on getting the lyrics right. It’s something I’ve never really relaxed about.

 You recorded this album here in Toronto at Revolution Recordings. Tell me what you were thinking going in on this record, did you want to do something different, expand the sound a bit?

 I wanted to do all those things. I’m really focused on trying not to repeat myself, and I was working with a new producer, Michael Phillip Wojewoda.  We worked really well together right off the bat. His stamp is really on this record.

So what did Wojewoda bring to the table that worked so well?

Well, he has a stamp I think. He can create a wall of sound. There are so many tracks, and he gets into mixing it, and there is all this beautiful noise, tiny little moments all over the place, really large backing vocals things like that. I think he came in directly with vision, which I didn’t understand at first but we had good chemistry and I trusted him, and he trusted me. Even on those 16-hour days it was still delightful work. And the studio is astonishing—beautiful, an absolute treat to be in there. 

Your last album was nominated for a Juno Award, did that success add any pressure to top that with this one?

Yes, there’s pressure, but it’s a natural sort of pressure. You want to get better at your craft, better at your job. Juno nominations are delightful, and a great compliment, but they are not the point of anything. They are an added little bonus. It makes me feel good, but I can’t be making records just to get on lists.

Tell me about your involvement with the CMHA and your interest in working to raise awareness of mental illness.

Over the years, I’ve never been shy about my own struggles with mental illness. There have been certain periods of time when I’ve been down the rabbit hole. I’ve watched a lot of people die, and it seems like a preventable death. We’re not doing a very good job at diagnosis and treatment. But the conversation is getting louder and I just wanted to get in on that conversation.

And what is the first album you ever bought?

Oh my gosh, it was a cassette tape of Milli Vanilli, I’m just going to admit that. There was this fabulous record store in St. Johns, Fred’s Records, and they said they’d give me my money back so I went back at got Joe Cocker instead—must have been quite a few months I guess.

Curran is in town for a concert on Saturday, Nov. 22 at Harbourfront Centre. For tickets go here.